Fatehabad, March 11
Former Haryana Finance Minister Sampat Singh today charged the Congress with politicking on the Sutlej-Yamuna link canal issue ever since Haryana came in to being in 1966. Sampat Singh was talking to media persons here. The INLD leader alleged that the Congress had done nothing concrete on the SYL issue since 1966 and had been adopting delaying tactics.

Sampat Singh said that when the Punjab Reorganisation Act, 1966, was passed, it was mentioned in the act that in case the two states failed to settle their water disputes within two years, the Central Government would step in and decide the issue in the light of the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956. But the first notification of the Central Government on this issue, he said, was issued only in 1976, albeit no work was started.

In 1979 when late Devi Lal was in power, the Haryana Government took the matter to the apex court, he claimed. But the Congress government withdrew the case in 1981 and a new agreement was signed.

The INLD government, Sampat Singh claimed, again went to the Supreme Court when Om Prakash Chautala became Chief Minister in 1999. The first judgment of the apex court came on January 15, 2002, when it directed the Punjab Government to complete the part of canal lying in that state's territory within one year. But Amarinder Singh-led Congress government came to power in Punjab in 2002 and it did not do anything on this issue for the next one year, Sampat Singh added.

The apex court's next orders came on June 4, 2004, when the court directed the Central Government to appoint a central agency for the construction of the canal in Punjab's territory within one month, give possession to the central agency (read CPWD) within two weeks and appoint a monitoring agency for this purpose.

The Amarinder Singh government came out with the controversial Termination of Agreements Act, 2004, on July 12, 2004, by convening a special session of the state assembly. The Governor signed the bill on the same day.

The Central Government, instead of reprimanding the Amarinder Singh government for defying the constitutional authorities, moved the apex court with a presidential reference to delay the things further.

Fatehabad: Suspended Congress MP Kuldeep Bishnoi today dared Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda to test his popularity by contesting election against him from any neutral constituency of the state after quitting from his post. Bishnoi was talking to media persons here today.

He repeated his charge that Congress president Sonia Gandhi was surrounded by a group of sycophants who used her to grind their own political axe.

He maintained that the coterie around Sonia Gandhi comprised predominantly of such people who were not in a position to win a panchayat election on their own.

He said he was not bothered by his suspension from the Congress and dared the party leadership to expel him if it considered his “pro-people” stance on the SEZ issue as anti-party.

Reacting to the reported demand of his resignation by eight Congress MLA whose assembly constituencies fell under the Bhiwani parliamentary constituency, Bishnoi said he was not afraid to resign but let Hooda also resign from the Chief Minister's post and contest election against him.

He said his stand on the SEZ issue would continue and he would not hesitate launching an agitation on this issue in case the government jeopardised the interests of the farmers.

Yamunanagar, March 11
Hailstorm last evening caused a lot of damage to the standing crops and fodder in at least 30 villages of the district.

As per information gathered by The Tribune the maximum damage to the wheat and vegetable crops was in Bilaspur and Mustfabad blocks of the district. Officials of the district administration were today collecting information about the damage to crops. The Bilaspur block recorded a rainfall of 26 mm and Jagadhir block 15 mm. Sources in the Agriculture Department said that the hails caused damage to the sunflower and potato crops. Officials of the district administration visited Teha Tehi, Juda Sekhan, Pabni Kalana, Ram Keheri and other villages of Bilaspur block.

As per farmers the hailstorm followed by rain played havoc with the crops in several villages, including Chugnouli, Peeruwala and Makhour.

Major Singh of Satgoli village in Mustfabad block said that his wheat crop in 40 acres was damaged last evening. No official of the Agriculture Department was available for comments as they were in the process of accessing the loss due to the rain and hailstorm.

Kaithal, March 11
The Haryana government has recently sanctioned projects worth Rs 25 crore to improve the road infrastructure and provide other amenities to the people of this area, transport and public health minister Randeep Singh Surjewala said here today.

A spacious library at a cost of Rs 126.70 lakh will be constructed at Hanuman Vatika here. Elaborating further, Surjewala said that a new bypass would be constructed on the south-western side of the town to connect the Khanauri bypass with the Jind road.

The stretch of road from Pehowa Chowk to Municipal Chowk will also be widened at a cost of Rs 38 lakh.

Similarly, the width of Kaithal-Kawartan road is also being increased from 12 to 18 feet at a cost of Rs 472.80 lakh. The badly damaged stretch of the roads in Kutabpur, Devi Garh, Deora, Balwanti and Barout villages will be replaced with concrete roads.

The government had also sanctioned Rs 1.55 lakh for the construction of residential houses for officers. Besides this 15 new sheds and security guard cabins at a cost of Rs 14 lakh will be constructed in the judicial complex here.

Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda announced a grant of Rs 2.5 lakh for the construction of an Arora dharamshala.

While thanking the organisers of today’s function Shamsher Singh Surjewala said the Congress wanted that every community in the state should prosper and all the sections of society should live with peace and maintain mutual brotherhood.

Bhiwani, March 11
Acting on complaints of the supply of contaminated water in the town, Deputy Commissioner Mohinder Kumar today visited several areas. Officials of the Public Health Department also accompanied him.

He inspected the main water works on the Meham road and directed the authorities to take sample of water. People of various areas complained of supply of contaminated water, obviously mixed with sewerage water, to the Deputy Commissioner. He asked officials to take samples in his presence. He inspected the pump chamber. The authorities took samples of raw and clean water being supplied to the town. He visited several other areas and took stock of the situation of drinking water supply.

On complaints of sewerage water mixing with drinking water in several areas, he ordered the Public Works Department and public health authorities to detect faulty lines and rectify the situation soon. Water lines passing above the sewerage lines must be changed, he directed.

He also visited the Dinod gate area and inspected a pond. Water has caused waterlogging and cracks in the buildings situated around this pond and directed the Public Health authorities to drain out water there.

Chandigarh, March 11
The Haryana Tourism will organise specific packages for tourists from Europe. Minister of state for tourism Kiran Choudhry, who is on a tour of Berlin and Spain, said today that the packages would be evolved after having a liaison with various tourism organisations of northern states of India.

She said this would facilitate the foreign tourists to have a hassle-free visit to India and give them glimpses of its rich cultural heritage and architecture.

Choudhry, who is leading an all-women delegation comprising tourism secretary Keshni Anand Arora and Tourism Corporation managing director Satwanti Ahlawat, said overseas tour and travel operators had expressed an interest in Haryana.

Talking to tour operators she said the concept of public-private partnership had been successfully tried in Haryana and those who were interested in investing in the tourism sector would be facilitated .

She said the Haryana Pavilion at ITB Berlin-2007, one of the largest international tourism fairs, showcased highway, farm, gold and adventure tourism opportunities available in the state.

The three-member delegation later left for Spain.

Karnal, March 11
Karna Taal, a place of the Mahabharata era, cries for immediate attention. Located in the heart of the town, the taal which once was known for magnificent landscaping now looks filthy. The late Sanjay Gandhi had presided over the inaugural function of the park where the mythical pond was converted into a picnic spot.

But following official apathy for years heaps of garbage surround the poorly maintained park.

People believe the place is associated with the battle of Mahabharata and Karna, the son of King Pandu, had stationed his army around the present-day park. In olden times there was a natural water body at the site surrounded by temples. Philanthropist Karna used to offer prayers after bathing at the ghats of the erstwhile sarovar.

A pillar erected by the Bansi Lal government at the entrance of the taal states that it was the place where Karna used to donate “sawa mann” (125 kg of) pure gold everyday. Residents of the township blame the authorities for ignoring the site of historical significance.

Local MLA Sumita Singh said last year she had written to the state government for the maintenance of the taal having archeological and historical importance but no development had taken place.

Sources said though the state government had made a plan in June last for its maintenance but it did not materialise. There was a proposal to install a life-size statue of Karna in the middle of the taal which still hangs in the balance.

Gulshan Arora, a senior citizen, said the park used to be well maintained when the state authorities gave it a “modern-day look”. The state-of-the-art mechanism was adopted for the beautification of the place.

In the beautifully landscaped surroundings where there was an aquarium and a library has now virtually become a dumping ground.

Lamenting the neglect of the place, Gyan Baagi, another resident, demanded its proper upkeep to maintain the sanctity of the place.

Panchkula, March 11
Haryana deputy chief minister Chander Mohan today appealed to the voters of the Kalka constituency to provide him unstinted cooperation to enable him to make Kalka the number one consituency of the state.

He was speaking at a function organised by the panches, sarpanches, member of municipal committees and municipal councils at Red Bishop to felicitate him on the completion of two years as deputy chief minister. He was presented with a memento.

Chander Mohan said he was indebted to people of the constituency for their support during the past 14 years.

He said works worth Rs 200 crore had already been executed in the constituency in the past two years.

A special comprehensive plan for the augmentation of water supply in the Morni area was being chalked out to promote tourism in the Shivalik foothills. He would urge union minister Kapil Sibbal for setting up of a solar energy park in the Morni area.